A Glitch in Time
by FrozenSerenity
Summary: Messing with time is dangerous... everyone should know that. However, we all know school projects can be even more dangerous.
1. Shaky Beginnings

Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho belongs to Yoshihiro Togashi and this is just a fanfiction. With the exception of my original characters and story plot, I do not claim any other characters.

**A Glitch in Time**  
Chapter 1- Shaky Beginnings

**Ashley**: Hey, I'm the author of this fic. Completely off the topic, but have you ever tried learning Chinese? For me it was like a losing battle. Then my dad decided to enroll me in a Chinese school. Unfortunately my writing skills are so pathetic I had to start in the first grade with all the 6 and 7 year olds. But the sadder thing is they can all write better than me, and I'm twice as old xp. Ok, now continue with the story!

The bell rang, announcing the start of another day at Meiou High. Mei trudged through the classroom door and seized her usual chair, the one at the back of the room and adjacent to the only window. Today was supposed to be a special day, but however special it may be Mei was determined to hate it. After all, she had always hated assignments involving more than one person. Why do they always need partners for a project? What happened to independence? She heaved a sigh as her classmates filed in.

A boy with long red hair and clear green eyes sat down in the front row. The typical group of girls that entered with him settled nearby, chattering away animatedly. Shuichi Minamino was the smartest and most gorgeous guy in the entire school. Mei noted his expression; immobile calmness and a friendly smile masking something incomprehensible. She turned away.

"Alright everyone, quiet down," Mr. Takahashi commanded. The class gradually fell silent. "As you've all known you'll be assigned a research project today. This project will last for two weeks and the expectations will be very high." He paused, letting the importance of the words sink in. "The research topics are slightly different from what you're used to. They're not solid-based. Different people have different theories, and none of them is wrong. Err... what is it Mei?"

"What you mean is that we're doing a research on topics that aren't _factual_?" Mei had never believed in anything unless she saw it with her own two eyes. If she was supposed to do this assignment, there better be a realistic and proven foundation.

"That's not what I meant. I will show you the list of topics available in a moment. But right now, I must tell everyone who they'll be partnered with for this project." He proceeded to read out names with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Saiyo Toriyama and Miki Kamiya..."

Mr. Takahashi said that's not what he meant. So then, what did he mean? A few golden leaves danced across the window. It's hard to tell if the petals were happy to be free from the tree, or discontented to be leaving it. Autumn was such a strange season, beautiful in its sadness.

"Excuse me." Mei snapped back. Shuichi was standing in front of her. "We're partners," he smiled. "Would you like me to get a topic for us, or do you prefer to?"

"Umm..." She cursed herself for daydreaming before answering. "Could you please get it?"

"Sure."

Looking around, Mei spotted the topics on the blackboard. "Dreams/meaning, Life/purpose, Time/travel, Right/wrong. I guess those are better than demons and ghosts and love at first sight."

"You don't believe in them?" Her partner had made it back with a slip of paper at hand.

"Demons and ghosts are made by those who are scared or superstitious, and love at first sight is just a person fooling himself. When I first saw you I-" She stopped, horrified at what just slipped out of her mouth. Shuichi was wearing a curious expression. "I meant that... umm..." a heat steadily crept up her face and she looked at anything but the pair of green eyes in front of her.

"Here's the topic we received." Shuichi gave the piece of paper to Mei without further questioning, and taking it gratefully, she read:

TIME/TRAVEL

3-5 Page report on the meaning of time and whether you believe if time travel is possible. Support your position with details and other sources. Give dates, names of those who attempted time travel, scientific data, etc. A 5 minute presentation is required.

Date Due: October 22 (Two weeks!)

"I guess we're researching time travel," Mei said still not looking at her partner. "When do you think we should-" The teacher rose from his desk.

"Please return to your seats. This is an outside school project therefore I hope you've arranged some way to work it out. If not, you'll have plenty of time later." He waited while the disgruntled students trooped back to their chairs. "For our next lesson we'll be covering cellular respiration, a very interesting area of biology indeed..." But inside the mind of a certain girl sitting next the window with her head resting in her arms, Mr. Takahashi's words were already part of a faraway dream.

**Ashley: **So this is the first chapter. I hope it isn't too bad... Ok, the real reason I'm writing this fanfic is because I couldn't get into an honors English class in my new school; I didn't get the required grade for my writing test. So hopefully I can improve my writing skills xp. I've also really wanted to write a yyh fanfic anyway.  
**Second Author Note: **I rewrote this first chapter but decided to keep the original author notes. Anyway if this is your first time reading this chapter I hope you enjoyed it. Plz review bows Next year the counselors said I could go to honors English! Yay:) English this year is my easiest class yet (second only to pe).


	2. A Time Machine?

Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho belongs to Yoshihiro Togashi and this is just a fanfiction. I do not claim this anime except the original characters in this story just so you know.

**A Glitch in Time**  
Chapter 2- A Time Machine?

**Ashley: **Ok, I've made it to chapter 2. Thank you blizzard4526, kikyokurama, and bluepearldrops for your reviews. It's taking me longer to upload chapters due to my homework situation. We all have those. --;

The day was almost over. Mei decided not to wait for Shuichi to make plans about their assignment as Mr. Takahashi suggested. She didn't want to talk to him in the first place, and she had no clue where he is. The only thing left to do was to go home.

Mei took a few steps...

"Wait up!" She sighed and turned around. Shuichi was running towards her, red hair flying in the wind. "Sorry I'm late. A few people needed to speak with me."

Mei smirked. Even with the embarrassment of earlier still fresh on her mind, Shuichi's description of 'a few people' amused her. They both know 'a few people' actually means 'a hoard of fan girls.' "Err... So what do you think we should do about the project?" Mei inquired. She didn't want to encounter another awkward silence in case it gave Shuichi time to reflect back on the events of today.

They began walking away from the school aimlessly. "I have a computer in my room if you don't mind coming over," he suggested.

"I don't mind." They were passing by a garden now. The golden brown leaves carpeted the ground, leaving the trees bare and stripped. But to Mei, it might as well be spring with blooming flowers. Shuichi had just invited her over to his house.

He smiled. "We'll be there in awhile. Anyway, I heard you learned the martial arts from Kenji Togashi, is that true?"

"Yes, it's true." Mei was taken aback. "How did you know? Kenji actually adopted me when I was three, but..." she stopped. "What's going on?" They had crossed a street and everywhere they looked, there were people; people wearing suits, people holding posters, people talking excitedly.

"It appears we've walked into an archaeologist convention," Shuichi observed. "Or some type of convention at the least."

"Ding! Ding! Ding!" a blue haired lady wearing a kimono appeared next to them. "This is, in fact, the annual archaeologist convention. I'm Botan, one of the hosts."

Mei thought Botan looked familiar, like she'd seen her somewhere before, but she brushed the thought aside. After all there are a lot of people coming and going in the streets; she could have been any one of them.

"You two are just in time to see the main attraction," Botan continued. "It's an old time machine. Come with me and I'll show you." She motioned for them to follow her.

Mei turned to Shuichi. "Do you think we should go?" On one hand, this so called time machine may turn out to be a piece of junk and a complete waste of time. But deep deep down there's a part of her that was very curious.

"Sure. Our project is on time/travel after all. We may be able to learn something."

And that was settled. Mei and Shuichi pushed through the crowds with Botan in the lead. They walked past the center of the convention into another street. The people here were starting to thin out, and most of the artifacts on display were draped under a thick blanket. Mei shivered in the absent wind.

"This is it!" Botan announced.

There was nothing that resembled a time machine. They were simply in the middle of a street, a very empty street. "Where's the time machine?" Mei asked.

"Right beneath you. The inscriptions on the stone floor were written by the people who created this machine. We think they're instructions on how to work it, but the archaeologists haven't been able to translate all the words yet."

Shuichi bent down to have a closer look. "There's a picture of a sun and a moon."

"Yep. They represent the passage of days," Botan hesitated. "Umm... I gotta go now, but you guys can stay here a little longer if you want. Toodles!" and with that she took off, leaving the other two starring after her.

"Let's go too. This place is giving me goose bumps," Mei implored.

There was no answer.

"Shuichi?" She spun around and gasped. Shuichi was floating three feet in the air, and his body was transparent. Mei can't recall exactly what happened next. She tried to move her legs... no, she did move her legs, but they moved uselessly above the ground. Her surroundings were vanishing, vanishing until there was nothing except blackness. She felt like she was moving, but there was no light to guide her senses.

Next to her Shuichi's expression was unreadable. It wasn't of fear which was what she was feeling. It was more a mixture of surprise and worry. Mei blinked, and he was gone.

Her surroundings were changing again. It was getting brighter... too bright.

**Ashley: **Hmm... I'm not sure what should happen next. Most of the stories I write I make up along the way. I know that's an amateur way to write but I'm not a planned writer xp. Ok, plz review. Oi, my Spanish and history homework is giving me a big headache.


	3. Unpleasant Facts

Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho belongs to Yoshihiro Togashi and this is just a fanfiction. I do not claim this anime except the original characters in this story just so you know.

**A Glitch in Time**  
Chapter 3- Unpleasant Facts

**Ashley: **You get the program, read read read and review. By the way the rating may or may not change in later chapters. Thanks

_Where am I? What happened? _Mei struggled to open her eyes. If only her head would stop spinning. _Thump. Thump. Thump._ She pulled herself up with great lethargy to discover she's in the middle of a grassy plain. The stench in the air was too much for her delicate stomach, and she vomited on the spot.

"Over there! Kill that demon thief!" a rough voice growled.

_Who said that? _And to her horror, Mei discovered the _thump _in her head wasn't in her head at all. Three overgrown black bulls were charging at her with incredible speed, their feet pounding the ground heavily. Thump. Thump. Thump. As they drew nearer, Mei noticed their blank eyes and the blood tinted horns on their forehead. One word came to mind: _run_.

Without another glace at the monsters, Mei took off. Her legs moved quickly and swiftly, but the bulls were even more so. _I can't outrun them_, she thought desperately, feeling the quaking earth beneath her.

"Hold on," one of the creatures bellowed. "That's not Youko Kurama."

Mei couldn't care less who Youko Kurama was. However the three bulls have stopped charging and that offered some relief. She stopped running as well and turned to face them. "Who are you?" she demanded as bravely as possible.

The bull on the left sneered. "You're right Kio, she's not Youko Kurama," he said to his companion. "She's a _human_."

"We're the trio demon brothers human," the one named Kio informed Mei.

"Don't joke. I know demons aren't real," she replied without faltering. _Still, whatever they are, they're not human._

The three bulls laughed. "We'll show you just how real we are human. You may not be Kurama, but it has been such a long time since we've had a decent meal." Kio pawed the ground and he and the others started advancing forward.

_They can't possibly eat me..._

"Who'll have the honor...?" Kio invited.

Mei didn't wait for them to work it out. It was now or never. Reaching into her pocket, she retrieved a fan and flung it at the bulls with everything she had. Her weapon flew across the air toward the inattentive demons and found its mark in Kio's right front leg.

"OUCH!" he roared furiously and (using the remaining three legs) began charging at Mei.

Mei couldn't move. There was something in those white eyes that prevented her from moving; it was over. Kio was almost upon her, getting closer with every passing second. She closed her eyes and felt the deadly horn penetrate the skin into her stomach. The pain was excruciating, and it tore away at the saneness left in her. Mei was hurtling through the air, but the only thing she knew was the pain and the becoming darkness.

------

"It's about time you woke up."

"Am I in heaven?" Mei wondered, for the person speaking to her was extremely white looking.

"Don't fool yourself; you're still in the Makai."

"Makai?"

He sighed. "I'll elaborate. This is the Makai, the demon world; humans are a regular mealtime snack. You wouldn't be living if I hadn't interfered."

"So demons are real..."

"Any fool would've realized that."

Mei blinked her eyes and studied the person she's talking to. He has long white hair, two fury animal ears, and _a tail_? Then a thought struck her. "You're not a demon... are you?"

"What do you think?" he challenged sarcastically.

She made a move to get up, to get out of here; away from crazy demons and bloodthirsty animals, but a sudden pang shot up her abdomen and she dropped back down stunned.

"You should consider yourself lucky. That cut you have is one of the smallest I've seen," the demon smirked.

Breathing more heavily than before, Mei tried to regain herself. "Who are _you_ supposed to be anyway?"

"I am Youko Kurama."

**Ashley: **Errr... I've never seen youko kurama fight on the yyh show so I don't know what he's like and I might've been off character. Oh well, this is my fanfic xp. Plz plz review.


	4. Uhoh

Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho belongs to Yoshihiro Togashi and this is just a fanfiction. I do not claim this anime except the original characters in this story just so you know.

**A Glitch in Time**  
Chapter 4- Uh-oh

**Ashley: **Yay, chapter 4! Thank you everyone for the reviews, they really helped me. I think this is the farthest I've ever gotten on a fanfiction, but I really want to finish this so...

"You're Youko Kurama?" The name jogged something in Mei's memory. "You're the person the demon bulls were after..."

"That's correct. I stole their Talon Pendent. It's proven difficult to fight them with such a great item in my arms so you were the perfect distraction," Kurama replied indifferently.

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. This demon, this thief, was the reason those beasts almost devoured her, and he's sitting here acting like it's no big deal. Then again, he _is _a demon, so who knows what other sadistic things he's capable of.

"I saved your life, therefore we're even."

"I didn't need saving until you came along. And we're not even. I can barely stand up."

Ignoring her comments, he withdrew something from his white robe. "This fan belongs to you does it not?" Kurama was holding out a blood-stained silver fan, and seeing the look of recognition on the girl's face, laid it down beside her. "I'm leaving; I have other things to do." There was a note of finale in his voice.

Mei hesitated. Kurama did not present much comfort, but if everything he said was true, and humans are a meal in the Makai, then she can't lie around until it's her turn to be eaten. Nevertheless, how does she know Kurama won't take a bite out of her? _What choice do I have? _ "Wait... umm... would you take me with you?"

-----

"Botan! How could you have messed up something this important!" They were in Koenma's office, and the very distressed Koenma was pacing around it without end.

"I'm sorry Lord Koenma, I didn't know," the spirit guide apologized for the hundredth time. "Mei needed to be on the platform for Kurama to be taken to her past, but it didn't say anywhere on the script that the time vortex would work vice versa and bring Mei to Kurama's past." Her narrowed eyes darted back and forth on the piece of parchment in her hand, as if it was playing a trick and she was determined to find it.

"You of all people should know the dangers of time travel. A fatal error like this will sure to be disastrous." Koenma rubbed his chin and muttered in a smaller voice, "It would be a lot more disastrous if my dad found out..."

"Well, the good thing is that Kurama's scheduled to come back in a week, so Mei would be back too."

"What? A week! We can't wait that long! Kurama knows what to do in the past, but Mei can totally alter the course of history! In fact, even as we speak, Kurama's memory's most likely being modified."

Botan looked rather uncomfortable. "What about Mei's memory?"

"She's lucky. She won't remember anything before the age of 5." Koenma jumped back onto his chair. "What worries me most..." he paused. "Do you know how many years Mei was sent back?"

"Yes, 17 years. But what does that have anything to do with- Oh my gosh!" Boton looked horrorstruck. _1973. That's the year Youko Kurama was shot by a bounty hunter._

"If Mei somehow prevents Kurama from getting killed, then his whole future would be changed. Botan, you must bring Mei back here as soon as possible."

Botan nodded determinedly, materialized her oar, and floated out of the bustling room.

Koenma frowned at the pile of paper stacked on his desk. He knew the chance of Mei saving Youko Kurama was slim to none, but he needed to get Mei back here, and the only way to rush Botan was to manipulate her. He smiled at his own ingenuity. "Botan has grown fond of the present day Kurama. Ha, I'm so smart. I guess that's why I'm the judge of the spirit world."

"Did you say something?" George, his assistant, asked from behind his chair.

"No. What are you doing creeping around next to me? Shouldn't you be working?" he demanded, irritated at being interrupted in the middle of his self acknowledgements.

"Uhh... but Koenma sir, this is my job."

-----

"We're here." Kurama dropped Mei on the floor unceremoniously.

It had been very difficult to convince the demon thief not to leave her behind, but Mei had been persistent enough to triumph in the end. And now that she's in his home base, she wondered if she'd done the right thing. Kurama was, after all, the leader of a group of other demon thieves, all of whom are glaring down at her this very instant.

**Ashley: **Oh wow, I finished this chapter a lot faster than the other ones. I guess that means I'm getting better at writing xp. The plot is now more developed. I bet you weren't expecting Botan and Koenma to have planned to send kurama/shuichi into mei's past. Ok, plz review


	5. The Halfbreed

Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho belongs to Yoshihiro Togashi and this is just a fanfiction. I do not claim this anime except the original characters in this story just so you know.

**A Glitch in Time**  
Chapter 5- The Half-breed

**Ashley: **Yes, I know it's been awhile since the last chapter, but school is totally killing me; especially evil biology. How Kurama can like such a confusing and complicated subject is beyond me. 

"Kurama, do you care to explain?" The creature had large vermin-like ears, fierce yellow eyes, and whiskers that would've been overlooked if the ends weren't highlighted with accumulated filth.

"This human did me a favor. She'll be allowed to stay with us until her wound heals." He turned his back on the rat demon and searched among the crowd. "Senko, come here."

A girl, around ten by the looks of her, strutted shyly up to him.

"This is Senko," he explained to Mei. "She'll keep you company while we're away." Kurama turned around and shouted a command to his gang. With a swish of his tail, he had vanished into the forest. The other demons reluctantly followed, shooting malevolent glares at Mei in passing.

"Where did they go?"

"Come on. Haven't you figured it out already?" Senko replied irritably. "They're _thieves._ Where else do you think they could've gone? To steal another treasure of course!"

Mei studied the girl. She appeared human enough, but there was something un-human about her. Perhaps it was her bad attitude. "Why weren't you like this when Kurama and the other demons were here?"

"Like what? I don't know what you're talking about."

"Are you human? Or are you a demon?

"Don't insult me, I'm no human."

"Then you are a demon...?"

Senko spun around, looking both angry and hurt. "What's your problem anyway? Why don't you mind your own business and stop bothering me."

"I'm sorry, I was just curious." Mei apologized, offering what she hoped to be an unarming smile. "You just seemed different from the others."

Senko wiped away a few tears hastily. "So even a human could tell. I'm only half demon. My mother... was a human." Her voice shook ever so slightly. "I'm in Kurama's gang because of my brother, or half brother I should say. He's extremely loyal to the demon thief."

"Why don't you go along with the others when they steal? Are you not old enough?"

"I'm old enough, I'm almost nineteen. But when I go I only get in the way." Mei must've looked shocked for Senko asked, "What's the matter?"

"You're almost _nineteen_?"

"Yes, I am. I guess to you humans I would look younger," and for the first time since their meeting, Senko smiled. "Here, let me heal your wound. I'm a practiced healer." She placed her palm an inch above Mei's wound, and they both waited.

Mei thought for a second that her stomach had turned to jelly. It felt surprisingly weak and fragile. Then it was over. The cut had disappeared and there wasn't even a scar to be found. "Thank you so much. You _are_ a good healer."

"Oh, it was nothing," Senko replied, mollified. "I have to heal those demons all the time."

---

"Hey Mei, how long has it been since they left?" The sky was a solid shade of black, but the demons have not yet returned.

"Four hours at the least. Do they usually take this long?"

"Un unh," She shook her head and gazed toward the looming gray shapes in the form of trees, trying to penetrate the darkness. "My bro and the others are very efficient at their jobs. They never take more than two hours."

Mei suddenly stood up. "Someone's watching us."

"What?" Senko sprang to her feet as well, starring more wildly around than ever. Two minutes could've passed, twenty? Who knows? Mei couldn't explain it, yet she knew with the same certainty that the sun would rise, somebody was watching them. Was there only one person? Now it feels as though there were many eyes upon them, waiting... They were surrounded.

"How are you at fighting Senko?"

"Err... I could be better."

**Ashley: **Hm... I wonder what should happen next xp. Honestly, I didn't plan on Senko having such a big role in this fic. Still, her part will pull the whole thing together. The ending's going to be killer I'm sure there's going to be at least five more chapters though. And as always, plz review


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